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Our "Prediction Wizard" will calculate, based on the current available betting odds, the implicit winning percentages for the possible outcomes in a match. This will be updated as soon as we fetch the odds from the betting sites and keep updating until the match is finished.

About the Match

The Big Bash League has once again lived up to expectations in the early encounters and has provided some very exciting cricket. BBL 08 is promising to stay closely contested throughout as a number of teams have started showing improvements to their squads from last season.

The upcoming BBL match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Melbourne Stars will be another chance for both the teams to showcase their strengths for this season. The Hobart Hurricanes have already registered a solid victory against Brisbane Heat while the Melbourne Stars lost a rain-affected game against the Sydney Thunder.

The Hobart Hurricanes had an excellent BBL season last time around but were beaten by the Melbourne Stars in a high scoring contest. It remains to be seen of the new-look Melbourne Stars can achieve the same result this time around.

Match Preview

Hobart Hurricanes

Darcy Short continued his love affair with the BBL as he smashed 67 runs from 52 deliveries in the opening match. Not only was his timing absolutely perfect but his ability to hit sixes was also on show as cracked four shots over the boundary.

Ben McDermott, George Bailey, and Simon Milenko contributed with a few cameos to help the Stars reach a competitive total.

It was clear from this one inning that there is plenty of power in the Hobart Hurricanes lineup. Darcy Short may be the biggest name in this order but the likes of Wade, McDermott, Doolan, and Bailey are all capable of providing the runs for the Hurricanes as well.

With two capable all-rounders in James Faulkner and Johan Botha manning the lower-middle order, the Hobart Hurricanes have a deep batting lineup that is going to be able to get the runs for the side on more occasions than not.

The bowling more than stood the test under which the Brisbane Heat put them. There were some moments when Chris Lynn and Max Bryant threatened to take the game away but Faulkner and Jofra Archer ensured that was not going to happen.

Faulkner looked in good rhythm and used his variations judiciously while Jofra Archer continued to prove just why he is so highly rated around the world. With Johan Botha in the wickets and some good overs from Rose and Meredith, the Hobart Hurricanes bowling attack is shaping up very nicely for the rest of the Big Bash League as well.

Hobart Hurricanes Starting Lineup

Melbourne Stars

The Melbourne Stars had a tough opening night in BBL 08. They were smashed around the park by the Sydney Thunder batsmen and then set a tough chase thanks to the rain that intervened. It was not the kind of start to a tournament a team wants because it does not allow the side to get any sort of rhythm.

For a BBL team like Melbourne Stars where a massive rebuilding effort is underway, this is all the more problematic.

Let’s start with a look at the Melbourne Stars bowling. Michael Beer had a terrible time and was taken for 44 runs in his 4 overs. This is not the kind of performance that the Stars are used to getting out of Michael Beer and so we think he is likely to bounce back strong.

The other two spinners in the side, Adam Zampa, and Sandeep Lamichhane bowled well and should be a bigger threat in the matches going forward.

Dwayne Bravo has enough experience to know that T20 matches and even tournaments like the BBL can change complexion quickly. He is not going to be bothered by one loss. His own personal form with both ball and bat was encouraging as well.

The fast bowling resources look a little thin for the Melbourne Stars and they may consider playing another fast man instead of one of their three spinners.

We don’t want to take the batting performance of the Melbourne Stars too seriously on the evidence of the opening match. They were chasing a tall target in a short time and had to go for their shots.

A batting lineup of Ben Dunk, Travis Dean, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Dwayne Bravo should be able to get a good score on most occasions. The most important factor for the Stars will be the form of Ben Dunk.

Ben was one of the best batsmen in the league until last year and has since struggled with the Stars. He needs to find his best form quickly otherwise the Melbourne Stars are going to struggle.

The batting form of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus SToinis is much more predictable in our opinion. Batting at 3 and 4 for the entire BBL tournament should allow them plenty of opportunities to score.

The Melbourne Stars are a little thin in resources but they have some proven match winners in their lineup as well.

Melbourne Stars Starting Lineup

Toss Prediction

The side winning the toss is likely to field first

Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.

Pitch and Conditions

The BBL match between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Melbourne Stars is going to be played at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart. The weather forecast for Hobart is excellent and we should not have any trouble getting a full, uninterrupted match in. As far as the pitch goes, the Bellerive Oval consistently provides one of the best batting pitches in the entire Big Bash League.

A high scoring match is highly likely.

Match Prediction

The Hobart Hurricanes have started this season of the BBL in fine style. They are a well-settled team with players in roles that they excel at. They are also playing at home. The Melbourne Stars, on the other hand, is a team in the rebuilding stage. It has some good players on paper but lacks the depth in batting and fast bowling that the Hobart Hurricanes have.

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